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Topic: Hell's Kitchen 8 (Read 22374 times)

Cookware or special lessons for professional development are OK as rewards, but when you note how grueling the filming of a Hell's Kitchen season is on the chefs, I believe they would welcome any type of respite more. An amusement park, massages, a relaxed time drinking beer, these are all things that would help their bodies and minds recover.

The usual reprise of the prior episode opened this one:1. Melissa was sent to the Blue team and Trev to the Blue team. 2. The Challenge was judged by a senior editor from Bon Appetit magazine and a prize for the best dish was a photo shoot for Bon Appetit3. Rob’s scallops won the prize and also broke the tie between the Red and Blue teams.4. At dinner service Melissa started OK but Sabrina and Nona had problems.5. Red nominated Sabrina while Blue nominated Boris. Ramsay thought Nona and Melissa also deserved to be up with those two and he eliminated Melissa.

At the start of this episode Ramsay told the teams that his family (wife Tana and 4 children) would be eating in Hell’s Kitchen’s Children’s Night. A special kid’s menu was planned, so teams had to prep for the regular menu and the children’s menu. There was a cover over a table, which when taken off revealed a roulette table. Ramsay stated that great chefs frequently gamble on their creations and it was time for the teams to do so. Each chef got one throw, except for Vinny who got 2, and the letter on the wheel was the first letter of an ingredient that would be used in the teams’ dish. All chefs had only 10 seconds to select those ingredients and that pressure caused some inherent problems in the combinations of ingredients. The blue team chose:Vinny – yamsVinny 2 – Boris – misoRob – striped bassRussell – asparagus

The Red team chose:Trev – rutabaga (ridiculous!)Jillian – cauliflowerSabrina – bok choy (not a good choice)Gail – fennel (a really good choice because of the number of things it goes with)Nona – salmon (got lucky with a protein so a non-vegetarian meal is possible)

Both dishes were evaluated by Ramsay as quite good, although the fried yams and asparagus for Blue and cauliflower puree and rutabaga chips for Red were sub-par. The Red team won because the cauliflower puree had separated but still tasted excellent. The prize for Red was one of the best ever, a trip to Las Vegas to the Rio Resorts Palazzo All-Suites Hotel where they were staying in a 14,000 square foot room. Can you imagine? 4,000 square feet is a huge home and this suite is 3.5 times that size. The women are very impressed and then there is a noise at their door. It is Penn and Teller who arrived to do magic tricks for them. WOW! The blue team got to unload and prep 1000 potatoes for the complimentary French fries that were to be offered at the next evening’s dinner service.

It is Family Night in HK. Boris could not turn out acceptable macaroni and cheese for Ramsay’s son, which caused Ramsay. Boris and Sabrina are considered weak links by their teams. There is a HK Carnival going on outside. Ramsay says the diners will enter happy, be happy eating and leave happy so that he can be happy. Fat chance! Each table receives a welcoming basket of French Fries. There is a special Kid’s Menu. Vinny has doubled up the portions, for which Ramsay castigating him. Vinny tried a short cut, serving old extra risotto to Ramsay, but Ramsay was very upset that his family is not getting a fresh risotto. Ramsay said “if you can’t be bothered to do it, the go home.”Sabrina on Meat constantly asked Trev for help, then got a “perfectly cooked from Ramsay. Ramsay asked “Where’s the beef?” before Boris was slicing a perfectly cooked beef on a dirty cutting board. Ramsay asked the same question to Sabrina, who was ready but Nona on Garnish was not. The Ramsay family table was served except for the macaroni and cheese. Rob could not do it. He asked Russell to help, but Russell declined because he thought Boris needed to stand on his own feet. Trev criticized Sabrina for cooking 2 minute lead time grilled cheese ahead of 6 minute lead time chicken. Sabrina’s chicken was checked by Trev, but Ramsay found it to be cold. The Red team worked together to complete their last entrees.

Ramsay stated that 90% of the customer comment cards showed the guests leaving happy. He was pleased. The teams had to nominate 2 members each for potential elimination but this was a classic red herring, as Ramsay was giving them a pass with nobody eliminated.

HK8, ep. 8

The reprise of the prior episode was:1. A Roulette Challenge forced the chefs to think fast in choosing ingredients in 10 seconds.2. Nona’s salmon paid off with a win.3. It was Family Night and Ramsay’s family was there.4. Trev and Sabrina were at each other’s throats, but they pulled together to finish.5. Nona and Rob were chosen by Ramsay for consideration, but he eliminated nobody.

Jillian and Gail will pair up and the others will each create a beef, lamb, chicken and pork dish. They had $60 and 20 minutes to buy ingredients. Sabrina wanted to do lamb and lentils. The Red team had to cut out $7. This is to test ability to turn classic ingredients into high end dining experiences. The dishes will be priced by a panel of guest judges:

Mark Peel, owner/chef of CampanileSophie Gayot, owner of Gayot guidebookLibby Rego, reviewer - YelpJustin Wybourn, the general manager of the London West Hollywood Nobu

Red totalled $110 and Blue only $101 so Red team won a sailboat ride with a waterfront dinner at the Maya Hotel with Mexican band playing. The Blue team wrapped and fumigated the kitchen. Prepping was for specific stations. Boris had hot appetizers, while Russell as sous chef was on his case.

Ramsay gave his pre-dinner pep talk outside. He stated that it is the 100th dinner of Hell’s Kitchen and the Goodyear Blimp is overhead. The gala event is black tie, invitation only. The guests dining at 2 chef’s tables had a special connection to Hell’s Kitchen. It was obvious to me that it would be previous winners of HK, but the chefs thought some celebrities would be arriving. It was Rock of HK3, HK4 winner Christina, HK5 winner Danny, HK7 winner Holli.

Hell’s Kitchen opened for its 100th service. It is an evening of elegance, including a string quartet. Sabrina served caviar to all tables. Ramsay was served a risotto from a previous table and Nona tried to blame Gail for it but it was her responsibility. Ramsay told Boris to get risotto on first vs. capellini because it takes longer. Rob helped Boris to get appetizers out. Trev had recurring major problems on virtually every Garnish item he touched. It seemed that an impostor had taken his place in the kitchen, one who caved to pressure and did not know how to cook garnishes. Gail was cited by Ramsay for perfectly cooked Wellingtons. Ramsay was concerned about gnocchis. 3 Blue diners found the roasted lobster to be chewy due to overcooked by Vinny. Jillian had lobster ready but Trev did not have the garnishes ready for it. Russell was not helping Rob, who wanted to communicate with him. Rob forgot a chicken, but that stacked up all the Blue orders. Trev’s errors finally caused Ramsay to send him out of the kitchen. Ramsay decided to shut down the Blue kitchen after Rob tried to get pink chicken past him. The Red team needed Trev back so they could finish the last table and take over the Blue orders not completed. Jillian was commended by Ramsay for “perfectly cooked.”

Ramsay’s post-mortem indicated that the 4 ladies had done really well. The blue team had to nominate 2 and one was clearly Boris, but there was a tie between Vinny and Rob for the second one. Ramsay brought all 3 up and then eliminated Boris. Most would say this was long overdue.

Ramsay then called Trev forward and the screen stated the infamous words “To Be Continued.” Trev had a terrible night, but has been a consistent positive factor on the Red team. Will he bite the dust for one bad night? I don’t think so as Ramsay likes to give chefs a second chance. also, the blue team is now 2 chefs smaller than the Red team, so the most likely outcome is for Trev to be moved back to the Red team.

I ma now ready to forecast the final 4 of HK8. The beneath-the-radar performers are Gail and Jillian, both of whom I expect to make the final 4. They will be joined by Russell, clearly the best performer from the Blue team. The final slot will be intensely competed for. I think Vinny is the most likely, but it could be Sabrina. I see Nona and Rob and Trev as the next 3 out. Readers of this thread, what do you think?

I agree about Gail and Jill being under the radar, particularly Jill. Russell is good but selfish in my book, he's not a team player, he's out for himself especially if it gives his opponent the boot. I'm not sure Ramsay likes that in an employee. It's the same with Sabrina but I see her being the 4th finalist.

Rob, Nona and Trev all got flustered when the Chef Ramsay hell came their way. Never a good sign. They will be out soon, all three of them.

Tonight HK is preempted on FOX by Game 4 of the National League Championship Series.Next week 10/27 is the stat of the World Series.Nov. 3 will be Game 6 of the World Series unless it is over, in which case a repeat of HK8's last 2 episodes is scheduled.

I just noticed that there is no hell's kitchen until November 10th. Has to be because of the NLCS and World Series on Fox.

Oh, no.

I am so perplexed by the editing this season. At times most, if not all, of the contestants have been shown in an extremely negative manner which I think could potentially reflect poorly on Ramsay's new restaurant. I get the feeling that the winner will be more of a spokesperson for the Australian winery than a chef in the new restaurant.

Watching, they all seem to do so poorly that you have to wonder how they were chosen, and if anyone is capable of being a spokesman or run a kitchen. (I know why some were chosen, for entertainment.) All that said though, I love Hell's Kitchen and have missed not being able to watch because of baseball.

No way. No way in hell or Hell's Kitchen would I hire any of them to work for me in any capacity. If forced to make a choice it would be Nona or Gail. Though Gail's infantile manner in the confessional makes me want to puke, her performance is usually strong. Nona is solid and seems to be the most mature of all the contestants left. Russell should have been gone the same day he cursed at teenage customers during the prom episode. He reminds me of a grade school bully who uses fear and intimidation to rule the playground while simultaneously brown nosing the teacher. Jerk.

No way. No way in hell or Hell's Kitchen would I hire any of them to work for me in any capacity. If forced to make a choice it would be Nona or Gail. Though Gail's infantile manner in the confessional makes me want to puke, her performance is usually strong. Nona is solid and seems to be the most mature of all the contestants left. Russell should have been gone the same day he cursed at teenage customers during the prom episode. He reminds me of a grade school bully who uses fear and intimidation to rule the playground while simultaneously brown nosing the teacher. Jerk.

Honestly none of them seem capable of running a kitchen. I'd say that Sabrina would have potential but she's not mature enough and I don't think anyone would really want to work for her. I also don't see who could be a spokesman either.

I agree with you about Russell. I had forgotten how he acted with the teenagers but he is not a team player either.

This episode started with maximum tension between Russell and Trev. Trev made the effective point that Russell seemed impervious to any change. Inadequate communications among Blue team members were leading to major timing errors.

In order to highlight the importance of communications and timing, Ramsay administered a challenge. 6 individuals from each team (3 guys twice each, two females twice and two once) were to cook for 5 minutes, then hand off for 15 seconds. The dishes to be cooked were chosen by Ramsay for being very different in cooking time and type of cooking required:Tagliatelle Pasta with MushroomsSalmon with Lobster RagoutPoached chicken with Green Beans

Here were the highlights of what happened between teams:Round 1 Sabrina vs. Russell – both rolled pasta and started cooking proteinsRound 2 Jillian vs. Trev – she started sauces and lobster; he focused on salmon and gnocchiRound 3 Nora vs. Vinny – she poached chicken; he focused on platingRound 4 Gail vs. Russell – she did not appear to accomplish anything; he poached chickenRound 5 Sabrina vs. Trev – she did salmon; he finished two dishes but forgot to put lobster in to cookRound 6 Jillian vs. Vinny – she was rushing to finish just in time and dropped her salmon before plating; he only poached the lobster claw but did get it done

The Blue team won this challenge based on winning chicken and salmon/lobster and losing the pasta dish. Their reward was to receive cash for purchases at culinary supply store plus a special dinner (bay scallop tagliatelle, sea urchin, rose champagne) at Restaurant Melisse, 2 star Michelin under Chef Josiah Citrin. The Red team had to handle Delivery Day plus prep both kitchens and eat cheese sandwiches.

Sous Chef Scott delivered the news that each team was to prepare its own menu of 4 appetizers, 4 entrees and 4 desserts that would be used in a team vs. team elimination challenge dinner service the following evening. Not all of those menus was revealed, but the parts that were included:RED TEAMAppetizers – Wild Mushroom Risotto, Lobster CapelliniEntrees – Poached Lobster, NY Strip SteakDesserts - none identified

Russell and Trev were at each other’s throats as dinner service started. The RED team menu was preferred by most of the early diners. Nora’s pasta was undercooked. Russell’s first appetizer was deemed excellent. Vinny forgot to put a lamb to cook, resulting in a 6 minute delay, then his second try was undercooked. This was for a special diner, Chef Citrin of Melisse so it was highly embarrassing for Ramsay and for the BLUE team. Ramsay was apoplectic. Gail’s lobster cappellini had problems, with it sent back 6 times in a row. Red team entrees have ground to a halt and when there is a Blue entrée is at the same table the RED diner was envious. Sabrina’s gnocchi accompanying the NY Strip was cooked only partially. Vinny had to switch stations with Russell and Vinny’s sea bass was burned on one side and raw on the other. Gail was under pressure to produce after 6 minutes cooking time for lobster capellini. Her capellini was bad and the lobster was raw on one side and rubbery on the other. Gail was banished from the kitchen.

Dinner service was completed, but there was no winning team. Ramsay gave all competitors the opportunity to nominate anyone from either team (for the first time in HK8 for sure). Vinny was delusional that he did not have the worst performance of the men that evening. All 4 of the women nominated Trev, but what did they know about Trev’s performance that evening? Ramsay quickly saw through that baloney. Russell picked Vinny and Vinny and Trev picked Sabrina. Trev was asked to take off his jacket, but it was only to put on a new Black jacket of the unified team. The same happened to Nona, Russell, Sabrina and Jillian. Vinny and Gail, clearly the two worst performers that evening but nominated by a total of one person between them, were asked to step forward. Ramsay told Vinny he was in decline. Ramsay cited Vinny’s abysmal performance as the reason he eliminated him. Vinny admitted that he had his shot and had blown it. Gail acknowledged that she had dodged a bullet.

All 6 remaining chefs received a black jacket with the name on it from Ramsay. They were appropriately proud of earning it. He also gave them a bottle each of his Special Reserve Gordon Ramsay brand of wine, which they consumed copiously. He announced the first individual challenge to test the chefs’ presentation and taste skills. He invited several Los Angeles area Michelin-starred or award-winning chefs to come and grade the amuse bouches the chefs would create in 30 minutes. The judging panel was:Suzanne TrachtSuzanne GoinMichael CimarustiLudo LefevbreKaren and Quinn Hatfield

Each of the 5 judging groups would award up to 10 points for presentation and up to 10 points for taste, so 100 points was the maximum score. The results were:

These results establish Russell as the chef to beat, as Ramsay pays attention to the ratings of chefs similar in celebrity to himself. Russell’s win brought the opportunity to tour LA Market restaurant, already open, with Executive Chef Kerry Simon, then get a private luncheon with Ramsay and Simon. He was also offered the opportunity to bring anyone with him and chose Gail. The other chefs would clean their dormitory and then prep for the next dinner service.

Ramsay wanted to get all the chefs excited about their chances to win the LA Market job. He brought in a covered platter and opened it to reveal $250,000 in cash. He chose Nona to do tableside Steak Diane service, which took her out of the flow of the kitchen for that night. Trev and Sabrina had the Appetizer station, Gail had Fish, Russell Meat and Jillian Garnish. Special diners included baseball star Nomar Garciaparra and Soccer great Mia Hamm.

Dinner service started. Ramsay found Sabrina’s risotto disappointing. Gail’s scallops were done such that they would be overcooked for certain. Trev’s pasta was overcooked. Trev and Sabrina got into a confrontation, which then caused Scott to intervene and tell Trev to pipe down. I would not want Scott confronting me! Trev considered Sabrina to be a whining bitch. Trev and Sabrina were then criticized by Ramsay himself, but they continued to prove that they could not work together. Gail’s halibut stuck to the pan due to overcooking. Gail’s grilled salmon was problematical. Russell’s first Beef Wellingtons were too rare. Sabrina screwed up a simple salad. Jillian was shaking salt into the potatoes rather than using the prescribed “use your fingers” method. Ramsay threatened to shut the kitchen down and send a chef home if the chefs did not improve their communications skills. To me, the basic problem that night had nothing to do with communications skills and everything to do with basic cooking skills.

Ramsay stated “I can’t do this anymore. Get out” and instructed James to close the Hell’s Kitchen dining room. He stated that only Nona, who was fortunate to not be in the kitchen, was exempt from scrutiny but one other chef had to be fired. He ordered the other 5 to come up with the usual 2 nominees. They were Trev and Sabrina, although Gail was very close to a nomination. During this process Sabrina admitted that “I’m very manipulative.” Do you think? Sabrina made a heartfelt plea for both herself and for Trev, indicating that Gail should be the one to go. Ramsay decided to eliminate Sabrina for immaturity, certainly one of her hallmarks. He told Trev to get back in line and Gail to wake up. Gail was pissed that Sabrina had tried to throw her under the bus. Ramsay final words: “I’m not looking for a drama queen. I’m looking for a head chef.”

Sabrina's comment when she went to talk to Jillian was a killer for a job. She admitted she was manipulative and would use it to stay in the kitchen. It wasn't very smart and could come back to haunt her. I'm so glad she is gone!

It was laughable that all the women wanted Trevor's help after they had voted to have him up for elimination. Even after he said he wouldn't help, he did help Sabrina by putting the dressing on the salad. (Who could forget that?)

I would not want Scott in my face either. Whew!

I have to say that Russell seems the strongest at the moment. Jillian, perhaps. I'm disappointed in Gail, but she did come in second with the chef's judging.

Next season? WORTHY candidates! This season is a trainwreck. I cannot see any of them being a spokesperson. I absolutely cannot see any of them running a kitchen.

I thought Nona could do it but maybe it will be Jillian, I think Russell will be in the final 2.

Ugot, Trevor drives me up the wall, he's so critical of everyone else but he had major help from Ramsay who did it without screaming at him and he still couldn't perform, yet in his confessional trashes everyone else.

Gail, Trev, Nona, Jillian and Russell were the remaining chefs. Who will be eliminated next? Ramsay told the chefs that lunch service downtown was very important because lawyers and agents demand good food quickly so the individual challenge will be to go downtown and create a high-end lunch. The chefs all thought this meant they would be cooking at LA Market. What he failed to tell them was that the lunch would be cooked in mobile units (aka food trucks). The chefs had 1 hour to create amazing food from the ample ingredients in the truck. Then that food would be tasted by customers and rated for amazingness.

Clearly, Gail was taking no risk in sticking to a simple favorite of many, steak. Also, Russell was taking a major risk with octopi, which is not everyone’s idea of a tasty meal. I love octopus, but many people do not. So I am predicting that Gail will get the highest customer rating and Russell the lowest just based on what protein their meals feature.What happened? 61% rated Russell badly and 41% rated Gail tops, so she won. Nona had 39%.

Gail’s reward as the challenge winner was a makeover with a Hollywood stylist Jose Eber and a new hairstyle from Cojo, a hair stylist to the stars. The punishment for the losers was the usual cleaning of the dorms and then the outside of the food trucks was thrown in for good measure. On her return it was prep time.

For dinner service, Jillian without any prior experience there has been assigned to the Fish Station. She had no idea how to cook scallops, so learning on the job would be fraught with peril. As Hell’s Kitchen opened for dinner service, the first orders for appetizers got hung up by her inability to cook the scallops to accompany the other appetizers. Jillian botched several dishes of scallops before getting it right. Nona took that time to undercook the spaghetti appetizer that was supposed to accompany the scallops. Jillian now gets entrée orders for halibut and she cannot handle them either. Russell helped her out of this, but there was a displacement effect on what he should have been doing. Gail is also having a terrible night on the Garnish Station. She froze up and was unable to cook anything. Ramsay is apoplectic over the poor performances that evening. When some dishes were returned from diners, he took off his apron and exited the kitchen with Scott because “I might hurt someone if I stayed.” Russell and Nona tried to keep it going in his absence. Trev had consistent problems with some steaks and Russell sent them back to him twice. Ramsay returned and Gail garnered his ire by presenting undercooked salmon. He threw her out of the kitchen. Jillian, who had an otherwise OK night, brought undercooked eggs and she was banished too. The remaining three chefs finished dinner service without getting banished.

Ramsay asked for 2 nominations as usual. The 4 women all voted for (actually against) Trev and the second nominee was Gail. Gail was eliminated.

The Final 4 is Russell, Trev, Jillian and Nona. Ramsay asked them to pair off and create a dish, but that is only a feinting movement. He and Scott were creating the real individual challenge for them, a taste test to recreate his dish by just looking at it and tasting it without knowing the ingredients or recipe. The first component they consider is the protein, which Trev and Jillian thought was veal and Nona and Russell thought was pork. Trev wanted to keep his options open on the puree between yams and carrots; the rest chose pureed yams. Nona thinks the garnish is pancetta, but the rest went with bacon. All four chose chicken stock as the base for the sauce. Trev added wine to his sauce. Trev forgot to put the puree on his dish when it was too late to do so. Who was the closest to Ramsay’s dish? Carrots were correct, but not having them on the plate did not allow Trev to score. The protein was veal, so both Jillian and Trev were eliminated from consideration. The winner is decided on the garnish, which is the pancetta that Nona nominated. She won over Russell.

Her reward was to get a salon day at a Beverly Hills spa to get a facial and several other beauty treatments. She can take one other chef with her and she surprised me by picking Russell. Will a facial help Russell? Probably not, but the relaxation surely will. The punishment is to clean tablecloths, napkins, uniforms, towels, all the bed linens in the dorms and the whole kitchen.

It’s time for dinner service. Jillian opened it with a perfect shrimp. Russell was appreciated for his scallops. Nona made a mistake with too much pepper in the risotto. Russell then brought scallops raw, which drew an immediate rebuke from Ramsay. Trev got a rash of orders and tried to handle them simultaneously. The others could have helped him but they stood by and allowed him to fail. However, Ramsay came to his rescue by helping him get over the crush. Soon after, there was another tide of meat orders that again put Trev into jeopardy. Ramsay stepped in again and discovered that Trev’s cooking was perfect but there were minor problems with timing. Russell had real problems with halibut. He sent up a burned one, then a raw one before getting it right. Nona’s risotto was undercooked, bland and burned all at once. She recooked it and got it right. That finished up dinner service.

Ramsay declared it a successful night, but he still wanted 2 nominations. Those nominations result in a tie before Jillian’s thoughts were considered. Before that really happened, Ramsay told Trev to step forward and then to step back in line. Russell was next asked to step forward and spend brief quality time with meet his girlfriend Megan and his parents. Trev’s sister and best friend are brought in. Jillian’s boyfriend and two sons are brought in. Last but not least, Nona’s husband and son came in. Then this quality time is over and the 4 chefs realize they are safe for that episode. However, Ramsay told them that two of them will be eliminated the next episode.

I know Hell's kitchen season 8 is amazing and I have seen it's all episodes. You all have wonderful reviews about this show, i really like it. I'm excited for it's episode 14 which comes on today. What do you think about this episode.

It's a tough call on who will make the Final 2. Before last week, I would have said Russell had a lock on a spot, but he did poorly. My guess is that it will be Russell vs. Nona as she has made the fewest errors recently. Jillian had done poorly on fish and Trev has been spotty on Meat, so my guess is that they will be the ones eliminated. This is the most unpredictable decision from the final 4 to the final 2 that I can recall in all 8 Hell's Kitchen seasons.

By the end of this episode, Ramsay reminded the 4 remaining chefs that 2 of them would be gone. The individual challenge was to create a fusion dish combining the best aspects of the cuisine of two different countries. Flags were picked to determine which 2 countries each chef would work with:

Each country came with a large circular table full of the prime ingredients of that country. There was no limit on how much of what ingredients for the two assigned countries could be used. 3 chefs planned quickly and went right at this, but Jillian took a lot of time to plan and started cooking well after the others. Cooking time was 45 minutes. At the end of that, Jillian in her inimitable style proclaimed hers “my dish sucks“. The dishes presented were:

Nona, Russell and Trev all presented their dishes and the judges found major faults with each one of them. Trev’s dish was bland. Nona had too many ingredients. Russell put little of Indian cuisine into his dish since he loves to cook French; it was not spicy enough, and the duck is overcooked. Jillian came in and swept them away with what Hefter described as “a Thai paella.” Jillian won the votes of all 3 judges.

Jillian’s reward was lunch at Spago after a limo ride with Ramsay. She found on arrival that her husband and 2 kids were waiting for her. Ramsay ducked out of camera range. The punishment for the other 3 was to break down and load the contents of the dorms into a truck, then to prep the kitchen. Jillian returned as prep was underway. Ramsay made it clear he wanted an extraordinary service. He would be turning over “the pass” to each one in succession. He urged them to “run the kitchen so it does not run you.”

Dinner service began and shortly after he turned it over to Russell. Ramsay was looking for two major entities from each chef, quality control ability to spot sabotaged food and control of the other chefs. Ramsay’s quality control test is always a difficult one, as chefs have to taste everything to know whether any part of it is wrong. Russell was his usual bombastic, pressuring way that really rubbed Trev the wrong way. I thought he was deficient, but Russell did notice that Scott tried to pass over pecans as walnuts for the truffle salad.

Next was Nona and she had good control of the kitchen. However, she failed the sabotage test as Scott substituted mashed celery root for mashed potatoes and she did not catch it. She could not tell even after Ramsay told her what was wrong.

Next was Trev and he was getting no cooperation from any of his teammates. Ramsay had to threaten them with dire consequences to get them to react properly to Trev’s requests. Trev did spot Scott’s attempt at sabotage, a substitution of sea bass for halibut.

Finally, Jillian ran the pass and had a lot of trouble with Trev who was undoubtedly seeking retribution for the way she had treated him when he ran the pass. She failed the quality control test as Scott slipped by her a ribeye steak in place of a New York strip steak.

Ramsay gathered the chefs for the post-mortem. He first eliminated Trev for being unable to control the kitchen properly. He made Russell the first in the finals. The final decision was who was eliminated and who went to next episode’s finale. Jillian was judged the weaker and eliminated, leaving Nona to celebrate her good fortune.

In the finale it will be Nona with the excellent palate skills versus Russell with ability to bully others. Who do you think I want to see win this? The answer was Trev but since that is no longer possible now it’s Anyone-But–Russell. Russell closed the episode with the statement that “I am competing with myself,” which I feel is correct and that’s why he should lose.